Home game against North Carolina is highlight of 2012-13 Long Beach State men's basketball schedule

Coach Dan Monson has become known for putting together some of the toughest nonconference schedules for his Long Beach State men's basketball team. He's done it again.

The sixth-year coach released the 2012-13 schedule this week, with the cream of the crop being a home game against the North Carolina Tar Heels on Nov. 16.

Long Beach will also play at Syracuse on Dec. 6 and at Ohio State on Dec. 8. North Carolina, Syracuse and Ohio State were ranked No. 6, No. 5 and No. 3 in last season's final top-25 coaches' poll.

"We are excited again this year, as we have done in the past several seasons, to announce arguably the toughest preseason schedule in the nation," Monson said. "The schedule is highlighted, of course, by the opportunity to host the Tar Heels at the Pyramid, one of the premier programs in the country.

"This schedule should give us a great opportunity to grow as a team and improve throughout the preseason in hopes of being ready to defend our Big West championship."

This will be the third consecutive season the 49ers have played North Carolina, but the first time they will play host to the Tar Heels. It will also be the first time Long Beach has hosted an Atlantic Coast Conference team.

Monson, who led the 49ers to the NCAA Tournament last season for the first time during his helm, also scheduled several games against Pac-12 teams. Long Beach plays at USC on Nov. 13, at Arizona on Nov. 19 and at UCLA on Dec. 18.

The home schedule has five nonconference games. Aside from North Carolina, the 49ers will host Fresno State on Dec. 3, as well as a BracketBuster game in February.

Long Beach, which graduated four frontline seniors but has several solid incoming Division I transfers as well as standout returners in Mike Caffey and James Ennis, will open the season with a Nov. 10 home game against North Alabama.